Underclassmen Performers At D1 Finals Weekend

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>**The Prep Dig Exposure Tour is coming to Pontiac on Dec. 21 for all interested 2026-2029 prospects following the 2025 fall season. It's a great opportunity to capitalize off the fall season and a great way to start the club year by being seen by scouts and colleges around the US.&nbsp;</em><a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2032/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-michigan#register"><strong><em>Click here to register</em></strong></a><em>, and use promo code&nbsp;<strong>“EllisPD25”</strong>&nbsp;to get $10 off your registration.**</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025 MHSAA Finals weekend is in the books.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We took a look at each matchup, but now is time to dig a little deeper and find the promising young talent that was on display at Kellogg Arena.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a the underclassmen that were featured from each of the Division 1 semifinalist teams last weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mercy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state champs used quite a few young players this season and last weekend to get to the title. Most notably was freshman setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='709559' first='Kaelyn' last='Easton']</strong>. She put up a combined 105 assists in the two matches, including 61 in the semifinal win over Byron Center. Easton also tallied 31 digs and four aces on the weekend. Her Team USA U17 partner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='569766' first='McKenzie' last='Andrews'] </strong>also had a big impact. The 6'5” sophomore middle had five kills and five assisted blocks in the semifinal, then seven kills and six assisted blocks in the final. She hit .417 in the championship match and will go into 2026 as one of the top middle prospects in the state. Another young middle, freshman <strong>Saniya Tucker</strong>, was a key this past weekend. Tucker, who stands 6'2”, had four kills and four assisted blocks in the semifinal, then added five kills and four assisted blocks in the final. Another freshman, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885455' first='Kate' last='Berghoff']</strong>, produced three aces and nine digs over the two matches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Bloomfield Hills</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Black Hawks had one of the best senior leaders you could ask for, but Bloomfield Hills still had quite a few young players that played key roles this past weekend. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584598' first='Allison' last='Stakoe'] </strong>has been the No. 2 option on the outside all year and she had a strong showing in Battle Creek. In the semifinal, Stakoe had 11 kills and 12 digs. She followed that up with 20 kills and 14 digs in the final, coming through with a key run in the third set to extend the match. Stakoe also had four aces in the final. Bloomfield Hills also has a pair of great freshmen middle hitters in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='768151' first='Emily' last='Nwabueze'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='775900' first='Suri' last='Ewing']</strong>. Ewing came through with a key kill and block in the fifth set of the semifinal against Rockford. These two combined for six kills and four blocks in the semifinal, then six kills and five blocks in the final. Look for these two to both have more impact on the offense in 2026. Freshman <strong>Cameron Howard </strong>also saw action all weekend. She had four digs and an ace over the two matches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Byron Center</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs had a fair amount of underclassmen help them in Thursday's five-set semifinal with Mercy. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834311' first='Kinsley' last='Whitfield'] </strong>has been in the libero jersey this season and she came through with 19 digs and an ace in the contest. Whitfield looks good with her defensive instincts and gets to play around some great defensive talent, which should only help elevate her game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='908353' first='Kenna' last='Deters'] </strong>is a sophomore middle that came through with 10 kills and hit .318 in the semifinal. The 5'11” Deters had some timely kills for the Bulldogs and should warrant a big role as a junior. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='888965' first='Layla' last='Triplett']</strong>, a freshman DS/S saw action in all five sets and had four digs, while freshman outside <strong>Evie Laska </strong>made an appearance as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Rockford</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams were a very experienced and veteran team this year, but still had some underclassmen contribution. In the tough five-set loss to Bloomfield Hills, sophomore outside hitter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834257' first='Kiley' last='Manyen']</strong> came through with six kills and 14 digs. She showed some good instincts in both phases of the game and also picked up an ace at the service line. Manyen could see a bigger opportunity in 2026 with the graduation losses the Rams will suffer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->